Phone features known in the art include a Reach Me feature, a Simple Call Forwarding feature, and an International Call feature. The Reach Me feature forwards a call placed to the user's telephone number to different locations and phone lines, which may be at different locations, designated by the user. The Simple Call Forwarding feature forwards a call placed to the user's telephone number to one designated phone line. The International Call feature allows the user to place international calls using only a five-digit country code followed by a local number. Phone polices are phone numbers and phone line numbers that are used to implement the phone features. Phone line numbers represent different phone lines/wires used in phone operations. Generally, offices and hotels employ different types of phones features and policies.
To implement these phone features and policies, switches such as Private Branch Exchange (PBX) communicate with phones, other switches and telecommunication systems. Typically, a console connected to the switch provides the interface by which an administrator can load and configure phone features and policies. Users can program phone features and policies only by using their phones.
In setting up the user's personal phone features and policies, the user designates certain phone features and policies per telephone number, which may be tied to a designated location, e.g., a house, an office, or a cell phone. The user has to use the phone tied to that location to operate in accordance with the user's personal phone features and policies.
From other than the designated phone location the user does not have direct access to his personal phone features and policies because the features and policies are tied to the designated phone location. Therefore, if the user uses a phone at other than the designated phone location, the user is limited to the features and policies of that phone, and so the user must follow often different and sometimes complicated instructions to operate the new phone. For example, if the user desires to place a call from a hotel, the user must follow the hotel's instructions to communicate with outsiders. Often, he must pass through the hotel operator before he can place an outside call, and outsiders must pass through the hotel operator to speak with the user in the hotel.
Typically, a set of features and policies are bound to a specific phone which belongs to a particular owner and requires owner's permission for use and modification. Often, a user is not permitted to have access to program the specific phone based on the user's desired phone features and policies.